The Role: Capt. John H Miller

Why It’s The Best: Steven Spielberg directed Hanks for the first time in this war movie that drives home the horror of the conflict on an intimate and epic scale.

Hanks plays Captain Miller, leading his battalion in WW2 to save Private Ryan and bring him home safely to his mother, after his three brothers have been killed in action.

Iconic Moment: The graphically realistic portrayal of the Normandy landings in the opening sequence. Spine-chilling and gut-wrenching.

Tom Says: “The first time I read about Captain John Miller, here's what I got: he's scared. And he's afraid in the same way that I would be in his circumstances. His fear is the reason for everything he does. And all the questions that are answered in the movie come back to that core thing.”